Disk drive for cartridge disks

ABSTRACT

A disk drive includes a drive mechanism for engaging the disk of a disk cartridge. A support is provided to move the drive mechanism into engagement with the disk. Several alternative supports are disclosed, employing cam mechanisms to pivotally move the drive mechanism. Also pins are provided to restrain the cartridge housing from movement while the support is operated. An actuator is provided to open the cartridge as it is inserted into the drive.

This invention relates to disk drives, and particularly to disk drivesused in computer applications. The invention is particularly useful inconnection with cartridge disk drives of a compact nature, particularlyoptical drives.

Disk cartridges are well known in the computer arts. Basically, a diskcartridge comprises a cartridge housing containing a disk upon whichdata may be recorded. A door or slide is ordinarily provided in thecartridge housing which, when opened, permits access of the read andwrite mechanisms to the disk media to permit the recording or retrievingof data. The corresponding disk drive ordinarily includes a mechanismfor opening the door or slide on the cartridge, and for engaging thedisk within the cartridge to the spindle of a motor or other drivemechanism. The disk, when rotated by the drive mechanism, permits accessof the disk media to the record or read mechanism.

In computer applications it is desirable to provide apparatus as compactand miniature as possible. However, physical constraints often limit thedegree of compactness available to a given apparatus. Heretofore,cartridge disk drives have employed the principle of inserting the diskcartridge into the drive and moving the cartridge into engagement with adrive motor. For a cartridge approximately 6 inches square and 1/4 inchthick (9 cu. in.), 36 cu. in. of space is required if the cartridge isto be moved 3/4 inch. Thus, some 27 cu. in. are required within the diskdrive merely to permit movement of the cartridge.

The present invention concerns a cartridge disk drive wherein the motoris moved to engage the cartridge, rather than the other way around.Thus, the present invention contemplates a disk drive having means forreceiving and engaging the cartridge in a stationary position and meansfor moving the drive mechanism into engagement with the disk.

One feature of the present invention resides in the provision of amechanism to open the slide door of the cartridge during insertion ofthe cartridge into the drive.

Another feature of the present invention resides in the provision ofmeans to securely engage the disk to the drive mechanism.

Yet another but optional feature of the present invention resides in theprovision of a door within the disk drive which closes the disk drivefrom external influences when the drive mechanism is brought intoengagement with the disk.

The above and other features of this invention will be more fullyunderstood from the following detailed description and the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly in cutaway cross-section, of a diskdrive in accordance with the presently preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, a portion of a disk cartridge is illustrated forpurposes of orientation;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are end views of a disk cartridge, illustrating theengagement of the cartridge door opening mechanism of the disk driveillustrated in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are top views of the drive mechanism shown in FIG. 1,illustrating the disk cartridge in several steps of insertion;

FIG. 7 is a section view taken along line 7--7 in FIG. 4, illustratingthe mechanism for raising and lowering the drive mechanism;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are section views taken at lines 8--8 and 9--9,respectively, in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a view of a mechanism for engaging and positioning thecartridge, as shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 11 illustrates an optional door mechanism for a disk driveaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 12 illustrates an optional mechanism for raising and lowering thedrive mechanism;

FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate another mechanism for raising and loweringthe drive mechanism; and

FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate two other mechanisms for raising and loweringthe drive mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, there isillustrated a disk drive 20 in accordance with the presently preferredembodiment of the present invention. Drive 20 includes a frame 22 havinga front plate 24. A slot receptacle 26 is provided in face place 24 toreceive a disk cartridge, illustrated generally at 28. Extrusions 30 and32 form guides within the disk drive to receive the edges of cartridge28 and to guide the cartridge into the drive. Arms 34 and 36 arepivotally mounted by pins 38 and 40 to frame 22, and are biased bytension spring 42 to the position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4. Spring42 is fastened, at each end, to pins 44 and 46 on arms 34 and 36.Actuators 48 and 50 on arms 34 and 36 are arranged to engage the door ofcartridge 28, as will be hereinafter explained.

Typically, the frame 22 will be enclosed within a cover (not shown) toprotect the electronics, shown generally at 21, and the read/writeheads, shown generally at 23. Push buttons and indicators 25 and 27 maybe provided in face plate 24 to provide controls for the electronics andheads and to indicate their operation. Suitable feet or resilientmounting pads (not shown) may be mounted to receptacles 29.

As shown particulary in FIG. 2, the disk cartridge 28 includes a slidedoor 52 which may be slid (to the left in FIG. 2) to expose an openingin the top and bottom of the cartridge (not shown) to permit access tothe rotatable disk media (not shown) within the cartridge housing. Slot54 in slide door 52 is arranged to be engaged by one or the other ofactuators 48 and 50 to slide the door from its closed to its openposition, respectively. Slot 54 is laterally offset from the horizontalcenter of the cartridge housing so that it will be above or below thehorizontal center, depending on the orientation of the cartridgehousing. A spring (not shown) biases the door toward its closedposition.

With reference particularly to FIGS. 1-6, as the disk cartridge 28 isinserted in slot receptacle 26 of the disk drive and guided byextrusions 30 and 32 to a position illustrated generally in FIG. 6, oneor the other of actuators 48 and 50 engages slot 54 on the cartridgedoor. If the cartridge is in the orientation illustrated in FIG. 2 sothat slot 54 is on the lower portion of the slide door, the loweractuator 48 will engage the slot. Continued insertion movement of thedisk cartridge will force arm 34 to pivot, sliding the door to the left(in FIG. 2) as the cartridge is moved to past the position illustratedin FIG. 5 to the position illustrated in FIG. 6 against the bias ofcompression spring 53 (shown in dashed lines because it is inside thecartridge housing). Actuator 50 merely slides across the door withouthampering the operation. Conversely, if the orientation of the disk isturned over, as might be desired in reading or writing on the oppositeside of the disk, slot 54 will be oriented to the upper portion of theslide door and upper actuator 50 engages slot 54 to open the slide door.In either case, the disk media 55 is exposed to the read/write heads 23through the opened door opening 57.

Support 60 is mounted by pins or shafts 62 and 64 to frame 22. Springs63 and 65 hold pins 62 and 64 into receiving slots within frame 22.Drive motor 66 is mounted to support 60 and includes a drive spindle 68to adapted to engage the center hole of the disk (not shown) withincartridge 28. Magnetic ring 70 is provided to engage the disk in amanner to be hereinafter explained. Arms 72 and 74 (see particularlyFIG. 4) carry engagement pins 76 and 78 arranged to engage apertures 80and 82 in the disk cartridge 28 to hold the cartridge housing secure.

The support mechanism 60 is adapted to pivot on the mutual axis of pins62 and 64 to move motor 66 from a disengaged position as shown in FIG. 7to an engaged position whereby the spindle 68 engages the aperture (notshown) in the disk within cartridge 28. One mechanism for moving themotor and pivoting the support is illustrated particularly in FIGS. 8and 9, wherein cam follower pin 90, mounted to support 60, engages anelliptical cam recess 92 of cam housing 94. Housing 94 is attached toknob shaft 96, which is rotated by rotation of knob 98. Rotation of knob98 by 90° will force cam follower pin 90 to move within cam recess 92 ofcam housing 94, thereby raising and lowering support 60.

In the operation of the apparatus, illustrated in FIGS. 1-9, the diskcartridge is inserted into opening 26 of the disk drive, and the slidedoor is opened by virtue of actuator 48 or 50. Knob 98 is rotated 90°bringing the motor spindle into engagement with the disk now exposedthrough the open door of the cartridge. The center hole of the disk isengaged by the spindle 68 of the motor, and magnetic ring 70 attracts amagnetic ring on the disk to clamp the disk to the ring. As the motor israised to the disk, pins 76 and 78 engage apertures 80 and 82 in thecartridge housing (see FIG. 10) to secure cartridge 28 in its properlocation.

FIG. 11 illustrates an optional door mechanism. Front plate 102 includesan aperture 104 for receivng the disk cartridge. Slot 106 is providedthrough which slide knob 108 is arranged to slide. The slide knob passesthrough opening 110 of door shutter 112 and is fastened to actuatorplate 114 at opening 116. Cam follower pins 118 and 120 in shutter 112engage S-shaped cam slots 124 and 126 in actuator plate 114.Conveniently, slide knob 108 may engage actuator arm 128 to raise andlower support 60, for example, using the mechanism illustrated in FIG.12. As slide knob 108 is moved horizontally along the path defined byslot 106, actuator plate 114 also slides horizontally, carrying camslots 124 and 126. Cam follower pins 118 and 120, engaged to slots 124and 126, force shutter 112 upwardly or downwardly, as the case may be,to open and close opening 104.

FIG. 12 illustrates an alternative mechanism for raising and loweringsupport 60. In FIG. 12, actuator arm 128 is pivotally mounted to housing22 at pivot 130 and includes a cam slide ramp 131 arrange to engage camfollower 132 on support 60 to raise and lower the motor mechanism andpivot support 60 about the pins 62 and 64.

FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate another alternative raising mechanism whereincam plate 134 is attached to actuator arm 128 of slide knob 108. Camplate 134 includes cam slot 136. Cam follower pin 138, attached tosupport 60, engages cam slot 136 to raise and lower support 60 as plate134 is moved horizontally.

FIG. 15 shows another alternative raising mechanism wherein cam followerpin 140 engages cam slot 142 in cam 144. Bevel gear 148, fastened to cam144, on shaft 146, engages bevel gear 154 on knob shaft 152. Knobfastened to shaft 152 is rotated to cause rotation of cam 144 to forcecam follower 140 to cause raising and lowering of support 60.

FIG. 16 is similar to FIG. 15 except that instead of bevel gear 154,shaft 152 and rotatable knob 150 in FIG. 15, slide knob 156 is fastenedto rack gear 158 which engages bevel gear 148 to raise and lower support60.

The present invention thus provides a mechanism for raising and loweringthe drive mechanism of a disk drive into engagement with a cartridge,rather than the other way around. The mechanism is effective inoperation and permits an even greater degree of compactness of a diskdrive.

This invention is not to be limited by the embodiments shown in thedrawings and described in the description, which are given by way ofexample and not of limitation, but only in accordance with the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. In a disk drive having a disk housing, receivingmeans in said disk housing for receiving a disk cartridge, drive meansin said disk housing for engaging a disk enclosed in a cartridge housingof a disk cartridge received in said receiving means, said diskcartridge having a door on said cartridge housing moveable between anopen position wherein a surface of said disk is exposed to a sensor insaid disk housing to enable recording and/or reading of data recorded onsaid disk and a closed position wherein said disk surface is enclosed insaid cartridge housing and not exposed to said sensor, and bias meanscarried by said cartridge housing biasing said door to its closedposition, the improvement comprising: a recess on said door, said recessbeing laterally offset from the horizontal center of the cartridgehousing so as to be oriented in the upper or lower portion of the doordepending on the orientation of the cartridge housing; first and secondarms pivotally mounted in said disk housing; a first actuator mounted tosaid first arm to engage said recess on said door of said disk cartridgewhen the disk cartridge is in a first orientation in the receivng meansof the disk housing such that the recess is above the horizontal centerof the cartridge housing; and a second actuator mounted to said secondarm to engage said recess on said door of said disk cartridge when thedisk cartridge is in a second orientation opposite said firstorientation in the receiving means of the disk housing such that therecess is below the horizontal center of the cartridge housing; wherebyupon insertion of a disk cartridge into said receiving means, one or theother of said first and second actuators engages said recess so thatcontinued insertion movement of the cartridge housing forces pivotalmovement of the arm whose actuator engages said recess causing said doorto move from its closed to its open position against the bias of saidbias means.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further including arm biasmeans connected to said first and second arms to pivotally bias saidarms to positions such that the respective first and second actuatorsare positioned to engage a recess in the door of a disk cartridgeinserted in said receiving means in either said first or secondorientation.